drapetomonia - the overwhelming urge to run away.
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When Junia Beaumont, her brother and their classmates get a last assignment before the end of the school year, she doesn't know just how quickly things will change for her.
Who would have thought t...
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14. somber morning
She's not sure if she's surprised her brother is in a sour mood when she enters his room or not. Originally, she wanted to call Lyssie soon to ask if she had any news regarding Clemmie but she guesses that will have to wait.
He's on his bed, staring up at the ceiling with his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't even bother taking his slippers off which indicates it must be serious. But to her, he just looks like a very angry child. It amazes her how much he looks like Max in these moments. Does she look like that as well when she's angry?
Junia closes the door behind her. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?" She questions. "Or are you more comfortable staring up at the wall?"
"I can do both," Cas huffs. Then, he sits up anyway and looks at his sister. His eyebrows are furrowed and he almost looks like he's pouting. "Or do you want to take a guess?"
"Well, you look like mom just told you we're having kidney beans for dinner," she replies. She walks over to his desk and pulls out his chair, looking over at him. "But I'm guessing that's not it."
"This almost makes me wish we were having kidney beans," Cas grumbles. He grabs his pillow and places it on his lap, impatiently drumming his fingers over the fabric. "Apparently the Academy called and asked me if I wanted to be one of the two lucky people that sing the national anthem at Arachne's funeral tomorrow. Mom didn't even ask, she just said yes."
Junia finds it hard to suppress a laugh at that. She doesn't bother hiding her smile when she sits down on the chair either. "Well, that's awfully ironic," she comments. "She just said yes? Just like that?"
"Apparently both Festus and the Academy were calling non-stop and she couldn't work," he says, flicking a crumb off the pillow - he's probably hiding snacks somewhere in his room again - and groans, leaning back so that he's sitting with his back against the wall. "Can you believe that? I wanted to remove myself as far away as possible from that whole situation and now I..."
He trails off and Junia shoots him a sympathetic yet amused look. She knows it'll be a while until he can think about Arachne without thinking of the feeling of her blood on his hands. Even at the zoo, standing where she stood seemed to unsettle him. Still, there's a certain irony to it.
"If it's any consolation, I think Arachne would hate it, too," she says, "I mean, you out of all people? You were always at each other's throats."
A grim smile crosses Castiel's lips. "You've got a point there," he remarks. "She's probably trying to claw her way back up here as we speak."
Junia stifles a laugh and nods in agreement. "Exactly," she says. "So, who's the other? You said it's two people that have to sing."
"Coriolanus," Cas replies, unable to mask the little bit of relief he feels at the knowledge that he won't be alone up there. "He hasn't accepted yet, at least he hadn't yet when they talked to mom but he doesn't seem like he'd say no."
